Floater for a straw

ABSTRACT

A floater for a straw includes a main body, a central hole and an airtight space. The central hole is located in the intermediate portion of the main body. The airtight space filled with air is positioned around the central hole. A straw is to be fitted in the central hole. The combination of the straw and the main body has a specific gravity less than water, enabling it to float up while put in a bottle with a liquid, convenient for drinking.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the invention

This invention relates to a floater, particularly to one that is to befitted with a straw, so as to keep the straw raised up in a bottle tooffer a convenient drinking.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Bottles, being convenient for carrying and having a good sealing anduneasy breakdown property, are a popular container for beverages. Whenone wants to drink, he has to prepare a cup or drink directly from thebottle mouth. Or, for the sake of convenience or sanitation, a straw is.commonly used. When the content in the bottle is still rather full, thestraw is convenient for drinking. But, if the content is gradually drunkand left not much or the straw is not long enough, a user even has toextend a finger into the bottle to pull up the straw or keep the bottleinclined so as to keep on drinking.

Therefore, a common conventional straw has the following defects as canbe seen from the foresaid description.

1. If the content in a bottle is left not much or the straw is not longenough, a user even has to extend a finger into the bottle to pull upthe straw or keep the bottle inclined so as to keep on drinking.

2. When a straw is repeatedly pulled out by a finger through a bottlemouth, the mouth is to be contaminated by bacteria on a finger, causingan unsanitary drinking.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The prime object of this invention is to offer a floater for a straw.

The main characteristics of the invention are a main body of a float, acentral hole and an airtight space formed in the main body. The centralhole is located in the intermediate portion of the main body. Theairtight space filled with air is positioned around the central hole. Astraw is to be fitted in the central hole. The combination of the strawand the main body has a specific gravity less than water, enabling it tofloat up while being put in a- bottle with a liquid, convenient fordrinking.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

This invention is better understood by referring to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a first preferred embodimentof a floater for a straw in the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the first preferred embodiment of afloater for a straw in the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the first preferred embodiment of afloater for a straw in the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the first preferred embodiment of afloater for a straw in the present invention, showing it being providedwith plural little airtight spaces without contacting one another;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the first preferred embodiment of afloater for a straw in the present invention, showing it being used;

FIG. 6 is partial magnified view of a second preferred embodiment of afloater for a straw in the present invention; and,

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the second preferred embodiment of afloater for a straw in the present invention, showing it being stored ina closed bottle .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, a first preferred embodiment of a float 1for a straw in the present invention is provided with a main body 10, acentral hole 11 and an airtight space 12.

The main body 10 made of plastics is shaped as a semi-sphere.

The central hole 11 set at the intermediate portion of the main body 10is formed as a hole able to be fitted with a straw 110 or the like. Thestraw 110 can be an independent component, separated from the main body10, or fixed in the central hole 11 with its lower end to combinetogether integral with the main body 10.

The airtight space 12 is positioned around the central hole 11. Theairtight space 12 has its interior filled with air 121, possible to be asingle space or divided into plural independent spaces by separatingribs 120 with an equal or different intervals. Or, the airtight space 12can be composed of plural little airtight spaces 12 that are notadjacent to one another, in order to save material and cost.

In using, as shown in FIG. 1, the straw 110 is first fitted in thecentral hole 11 of the main body 10. Next, put the combination of thestraw 110 and the main body 10 in a bottle 2, which is made of plasticsor glass with any shape. Then, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, because themain body 10 is made of plastics and the airtight space(s) 12 is (are)full of air, having an average specific gravity less than water, themain body 10 is to float up when a cap 22 is opened, enabling the straw110 to rise and expose out of a bottle mouth 21 to make it ready fordrinking.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a second preferred embodiment of the presentinvention is to add a filter 3 at the lower portion of the central hole11 in the first preferred embodiment. The filter 3 provided with airholes 31 at the top and the bottom respectively can separate impuritiesfrom passing through it, offering a healthier drink. The filteringmaterials in the filter 3 can be filtering gravels 32 or active carbon33.

The invention has the following advantages as can be seen from theforesaid description.

1. The straw 110 is easily floated up to a bottle mouth, because thecombination of the straw 110, fitted in the central hole 11 of the mainbody 10, and the airtight space 12 has a specific gravity less than thatof water, keeping the content in the bottle 2 ready for drinking.

2. As the cap 22 is opened, the straw 110 is to be always floated up toextend out of the bottle mouth 21 without necessity of pulling out thestraw 110 by a finger repeatedly, able to prevent any contamination froma hand.

3. It is very convenient for a user to suck because the straw 110 isalways extended out of the bottle mouth 21.

4. The filter 3 can block the impurities in a liquid in the bottle 2,providing a healthier and better quality of drink.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been describedabove, it will be recognized and understood that various modificationsmay be made therein and the appended claims are intended to cover allsuch modifications that may fall within the spirit and scope of theinvention.

1. A floater for a straw comprising: a main body; a central hole locatedin an intermediate portion of said main body; and, an airtight spacepositioned around said central hole and filled with air.
 2. A floaterfor a straw as claimed in claim 1, wherein one end of a straw can becombined together integral with said main body in said central hole. 3.A floater for a straw as claimed in claim 1, wherein said airtight spaceis divided into plural smaller airtight spaces by separating ribs withan equal interval.
 4. A floater for a straw as claimed in claim 1,wherein said airtight space is divided into plural smaller airtightspaces by said separating ribs with a different intervals.
 5. A floaterfor a straw as claimed in claim 1, wherein said airtight space iscomposed of plural little airtight spaces that are not adjacent to oneanother.
 6. A floater for a straw as claimed in claim 1, wherein afilter is placed near the bottom of said central hole.
 7. A floater fora straw as claimed in claim 6, wherein said filter is provided withactive carbon.
 8. A floater for a straw as claimed in claim 6, whereinsaid filter is provided with filtering gravels.
 9. A floater for a strawas claimed in claim 6, wherein said filter is provided with plural airholes.